Oi! Chelsea fans! How do you feel about Cuadrado? With Willian there, is he even needed?
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If you transfer (geddit?) £11.99 into West Brom’s pockets, you too can look like Tony Pulis!
Official Crest Cap now back in stock! Don't miss out. Available in store and online for £11.99 http://t.co/dcd6ZtT1ua pic.twitter.com/buOo8SOHKr
— WBAFC Retail (@WestBromRetail) January 22, 2015
One of the many faces to have graced Sky Sports News this morning is Karren Brady’s husband Paul Peschisolido. The Canadian may have a more interesting name and accent than Alan Curbishley, but you can’t help but think SSN are scraping the barrel a little bit there: Paul last worked in the game in 2012 when he was sacked as Burton Albion manager. Still Paul, what do you think of Juan Cuadrado?!
Here’s an interview Richard Williams did with the former Derby and Fulham man, back in the 2011 day.
Polite notice: Barry Glendenning went for afternoon tea with Emile Heskey. Enjoy.
With Sebastian Giovinco hot-footing it to Canada, Juventus have got some extra moolah, and are about to exercise their buyback option on Simeone Zaza, according to Football Italia. The Turin side had bought half his registration rights for €1m in 2013, sold them for €7.5m in 2014 and now have the option of buying him outright for €15m this season or €18m the next. Got that? Good.
Sure you already know but if you don’t, he’s really, really good, and made his debut for Italy in September.
SIGNING! We all knew it was coming but…
Real Madrid have confirmed the signing of 16-year-old Martin Odegaard from Strømsgodset. There’s a official statement on Real’s website and everything.
Here’s a couple of nice pieces we’ve on the young Norwegian.
I would be inclined to answer yes to both questions.
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SIGNING!
Defender Mauricio dos Santos Nascimento has joined Lazio on a six-month loan deal from Sporting Lisbon. The Italian club can buy him permanently for £2m in the summer.
They’ve also signed Wesley Hoedt from AZ Alkmaar on a pre-contract agreement.
Here is a very optimistic statement from Lazio. Ten points ahead in Serie A, I’m pretty sure Roma are the number one club in Rome at the moment, but whatevs.
“From July 1, Wesley Hoedt will wear the colours of the number one club in Rome, welcome Wes!”
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Nathaniel Chalobah didn’t fare too well in his loan spell at Burnley in the first half of this season – the Chelsea man hasn’t played a game since 1 November – but that hasn’t stopped Reading manager Steve Clarke from ringing up his former club to try and nab the England Under-21 international. Not a done deal yet, but should be confirmed soon.
In other Reading news, their striker Adam Le Fondre is apparently on the verge of signing on loan for Huddersfield, which is spitting distance from where he made his name at Rotherham.
While on holiday, I once ran into the Rotherham team – including Le Fondre – during their pre-season tour. They were all getting bladdered and had just hired a new kit man who was (I think I’m right in thinking) crying into his pint because he was so happy.
Following on from your excellent running-into-footballers-at-gigs stories from yesterday’s blog, I’d formally like to invite you to email and tweet me your running-into-footballers-on-holiday stories. Photos/videos/anecdotes are welcome.
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Some interesting below-the-line thoughts on Bernd Schuster potentially becoming Newcastle manager.
This is probably an appropriate point to post one of my favourite videos on the internet: a young Bradley Wiggins not being very successful before he went on to be successful. He’s not wearing scuba gear but it looks wet so, you know…
This isn’t strictly transfer news, although it does feature Xherdan Shaqiri, who is one of January’s highest-profile movers. He made the switch from Bayern Munich to Internazionale earlier this month for around €15m and scored this lovely goal last night.
£15m seems a little steep to me, but that’s what the January transfer window can do for you. You could get six-and-a-half Martin Odegaards for that kind of money. The 16-year-old will be ‘unveiled’ at a Real Madrid press conference later.
Here’s another Wenger quote regarding Gabriel Paulista. He thinks there’s a “50-50” chance of the deal going ahead.
“It is £15m. We are ready to pay the right price for a good player.”
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More hot Wolfsburg chat: Kevin de Bruyne, a target for Arsenal and Manchester United, will not be leaving the German club, claims his Mr 15%.
There is always going to be interest when things have been going so well but I can tell you Kevin is happy where he is.
After a difficult time at Chelsea he just wanted to be playing regularly. Now that is happening and Kevin is totally focussed on helping Wolfsburg to qualify for the Champions League.
But wait!
But after that, who knows? England and Spain are both interesting championships or he could decide that another season inGermany is for the best.
Aaaaaaahhh. Good to know his agent is earning his corn. There’s a signing-on fee out there somewhere!
Whilst we’re in north London…
CONTRACT: We are delighted to announce that @Ryan_Mason13 has signed a new five-and-a-half-year contract until 2020. pic.twitter.com/JcSQ8hogzU
— Tottenham Hotspur (@SpursOfficial) January 22, 2015
Arsenal’s Arsene Wenger is being poked and prodded by journalists at his morning press conference and has disclosed that talks over Villarreal defender Gabriel Paulista are “progressing well.” So that one looks like a goer: here’s our news story on the transfer, for those that want to read more.
Wenger has also confirmed that Coquelin has been given a new contract, and he’s confident that the Frenchman will sign.
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Sound the SIGNING KLAXON!
Wolfsburg have signed Koen Casteels from Hoffenheim and then immediately farmed him out on loan to Werder Bremen for the rest of the season. So it’s a double signing: a BOGOF if you will. The former Belgium Under-21 keeper has signed a deal until 2018.
“Koen Casteels is an interesting goalkeeper with great potential. We are now seeing its further development,” “said Wolfsburg manager Klaus Allofs. Excellent.
Todays’ Rumour Mill has landed. Hooray! Here, in bullet-point form, are the sugars in your morning tea:
- Manchester United are about to drop a cool (and very precise) £61.25m to get old mucker Paul Pogba back.
- United are also making eyes at Marquinhos but have been told by PSG to cough up £112m. Remember the 20-year-old defender didn’t even make Brazil’s World Cup squad, which in hindsight has probably added to his value.
- Arsenal want to steal Kevin de Bruyne from under Louis van Gaal’s nose.
- Swansea want to replace Wilfried Bony with Blackburn’s Jordan Rhodes.
- Are you a striker? Have you a good track record in years gone by but are currently struggling for form which means you might be available for a bargain transfer fee (even though you might still command high wages)? QPR want to know. Step up Dani Osvaldo.
- James Milner might be off to Valencia or Inter!
This morning’s big rumour: Bernd Schuster is being linked with the Newcastle managerial position, according to TalkSport. The 55-year-old German last managed Malaga last year, but was sacked in May after failing to finish in the top half in La Liga (they finished 11th). He’s got pedigree, having managed at Real Madrid, Shakhtar and Besiktas amongst others, but is renowned for frequent confrontations with the media, making controversial statements and walking out of press conferences. So should fit in at Newcastle nicely.
He’s already had talks about possible backroom staff appointments apparently, with Newcastle keen to retain John Carver and Steve Stone
He is also nicknamed Der Blonde Engel: The Blond Angel. Lovely.
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Good morning everyone and welcome to your Thursday! Just 11 days left until the window slams shut! Just two days until the weekend! It’s all kicking off. We’re here to provide all the days news and moves, whispers, gossip, movers, shakers, hopes, dream-makers.
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Bernd Schuster to Newcastle?
As a Toon fan - may I say to my fellow sufferers - torch the Tyne Bridge, and Bernd it down. Thou shalt not pass.
This manager would be about a successful as Bradley Wiggins on a Raleigh Chopper climbing Mount Ventoux wearing scuba gear.